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When Blokes Were Moved To… Tears.

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Third division football?
A distinct possibility
As North London disappeared in the fog.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Well in need of the windfall
That’s an on the road victory
The Special clunked out of Kings Cross.*

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 We were banking
On so and so losing
Our own fate was no longer in hand

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 If they won we’d be landing
In the proverbial, not of our choosing
A desperate place for proud fans.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 In our minds
We became our side’s manager
The emphasis placed on attack.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 By and by
We resigned and stood looking in anger
Should one man absorb all that flak?

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Who’d start in the crunch match?
Would he gamble on youth?
Or stick with an old wizened head.

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 Rumour was rife in the carriages
Butch Wilkins was leaving us soon
For United the grapevine had said.

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 Danny Blanchflower strode tense
Down the touchline
Did he need this at his time of life?

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 At best common sense
Should have shown him the light
“Go home and spend more time with your wife”.

11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 We were taking a beating
Which could have been worse
If the home side had been bang on form.

12 Leave a comment on verse 12 0 When the skies above Shrewsbury
Reverberated in verse
From West Londoners down on a jaunt.

13 Leave a comment on verse 13 0 The Result?
Was a four nought conclusion
We were beaten and we put up our hands

14 Leave a comment on verse 14 0 Though not in surrender
More a way of enthusing
We clapped loudly and cheered in the stands.

15 Leave a comment on verse 15 0 Gay Meadow public
Were totally baffled
These Londoners had right lost the plot.

16 Leave a comment on verse 16 0 On the end of a drubbing
At least we had battled
Which us Blues fans respected a lot.

17 Leave a comment on verse 17 0 A big lump in me throat?
Yeah I had one of them
As I stood with the faithful head high.

18 Leave a comment on verse 18 0 And watched eighteen stone blokes
In Gay Meadow’s away end
Wipe emotional tears from their eyes.

Notes

Gay Meadow Shrewsbury, poor Danny Banchflower’s in charge of a scratch team of kids including a soon to depart coz we need the money Butch Wilkins, we’re in debt up to our eye-balls and the wheels have come right off the pram from the kick off, we’re getting a thorough beating, four goals to nil and up goes the singing amongst hordes of travelling Chelsea fans, it was so powerful and poignant you’d have thought we were the team winning!

We missed the drop to the old third division, Danny was replaced and eventually pride in our team restored, but this never mind the result was indeed is one of the most moving spectacles I’ve ever witnessed from those far off days, in my mind as a travelling fan.

Peace.

Kev.

*The Special for younger readers refers to the old Football Specials, which were antiquated rolling stock (trains) the railways used to use to move us travelling fans abou the country, and pretty basic they were as well.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/when-blokes-were-moved-to-tears/